1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of medicine, specifically nasal aspiration and irrigation, as administered in the hospital as well as in the home. In particular, the device may be able to aspirate and irrigate simultaneously through one nozzle. Both actions can be controlled by one dual-function switch.
2. Description of Related Art
Nasal congestion is a ubiquitous problem in children and adults. Viral illnesses and environmental allergies in about 100 million Americans per year cause myriad symptoms including rhinitis (i.e., nasal inflammation), which causes congestion, rhinnorhea, and sinus blockage. This can cause sinusitis, but more commonly, irritation, pain, and nasal cavity blockage, which causes poor sleeping and feeding in infants and general discomfort and malaise in adults. Medical treatments are available, but inherently have side effects and financial costs. Relief of congestion can be met by blowing the nose, which is eventually irritating to the adult and difficult or impossible for a child or infant.
It has been shown that nasal suctioning, following saline irrigation, is an effective way of relieving symptoms and signs of rhinitis. Nasal suctioning can circumvent the side effects of medicines and irritation—or impossibility—of nose blowing. Manual aspirators have long been used in infants for this. However, they do not offer strong enough vacuum nor adequate evacuation time. As a result, they are variably efficacious and can be awkward and frustrating to use. Typical sinus irrigators designed for adults with sinusitis do not circumvent the problem of painful evacuation or blowing.
Furthermore, nasal congestion from viral respiratory infections causes difficulties with sleeping and eating in infants as they are obligate nose breathers. This leads to poor nutrition and restlessness which disrupts both the child's well being and the family's functioning. Worse, unresolved nasal congestion as part of an infant's viral syndrome can lead to emergency department visits or hospitalization for supplemental oxygen, frequent suctioning, and parenteral nutrition.
Several strategies are used to resolve nasal congestion. Several studies have demonstrated futility of cold medications in relieving symptoms, and most parents learn that nasal irrigation and suctioning is the best option. Routine nasal irrigation improves symptoms in adults with chronic rhinosinusitis as well as children with allergic rhinitis. Additionally, several studies have shown that saline irrigation improves nasal ciliary motility. It is thought that the saline draws fluid from the submucosal and adventitial space decreasing airway edema and softening the mucus, allowing easier suctioning. Additionally, the saline is thought to stimulate channels in the cell membrane which improves the cell's function.
Such a combination of saline irrigation and suctioning has proven benefits, especially for infants with bronchiolitis. Most studies evaluating nasal suctioning used hospital's central “wall” suction and some studies even used deep nasopharyngeal suctioning, both of which are not routinely available for home use. The studies demonstrated that appropriate suctioning reduces the need for further interventions, such as nebulizations, oxygen supplementation and admissions.
In contrast to hospital wall suction, manual nasal aspirators are available for home use. Their maximal negative pressure and flow rates are low, requiring repeated movements to and from the nose. Both parameters contribute to their imperfect quality: more pressure has been shown to be optimal (80-100 mmHg) and the short duration of their action requires repeated attempts back and forth, rendering them awkward.
Typical bulb suction syringes offer some suction, but brief and inadequate pressures can limit its utility. Additionally, the narrow and long stem allow for the possibility of mucosal damage as well as an inadequate seal at the nares. Some manual aspirators have circumvented that problem by developing better nasal tips that have improved seal and safety.
An existing manual device can sequentially (not simultaneously) deliver an agent followed by aspiration of the agent and orifice contents. It allows for neither the simultaneous activation of both functions nor the higher vacuum/flow as with a motorized device.
Still other devices have dual actions, though not designed for nasal cavities and not all-contained. For example, a hand-piece exists for surgical aspiration and irrigation. It is for surgical purposes (celioscopy) and not a home device. It requires outside sources of both vacuum and irrigant and can only perform one action at a time.
Another device describes a system for irrigating and aspirating surgical wounds. It consists of an elongate flexible suction and irrigation tip as opposed to our nozzle head configuration. The flexible shaft has a suction lumen next to or inside an irrigation lumen. The trigger controls only the irrigation mechanism while an outside source provides constant, and not intermittent, suction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,840 is a hand-held evacuator and irrigation device also for surgical purposes only. Its sources of vacuum and irrigant are also outside the housing, and needs two buttons to operate the two functions. The two functions are also delivered by two different ports, not one.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,530 discloses a nasal cleaning device that had an atomizing chamber within the nozzle and a chamber for collecting aspirant proximal to the chamber. The aspirant and irrigant can mix together within the nozzle. This can result in unsanitary irrigant delivered to the nose.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,414 is an integrated infusion aspirator device also used for surgical procedures specifically addressing post-surgical pain by cleaning out surgical wounds. It allows for concurrent irrigation and aspiration of wound sites for any internal body wound. It also relies on outside sources of vacuum and irrigant.